Dr. Joan Blauwkampchair of the Department of Political Science, 308.865.8759

“Fiscal Cliffs, Public Debt and Ceilings: Political Spectacle and Economic Reality” is the focus of the Fireside Chat at the University of Nebraska at Kearney on Friday, Feb. 1,

“This discussion will highlight the roles that both major political parties have played in increasing the national debt, evaluate how changes in the political landscape have impacted this issue, and consider the causes and consequences of the ‘fiscal cliff’ and hitting the ‘debt ceiling,’” said Dr. Joan Blauwkamp, UNK professor of political science.

Fireside Chats, which are free and open to the public, take place at 12:15 p.m. in the Fireplace Lounge of the Nebraskan Student Union on the first Friday of the month. The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Claude Louishomme, UNK associate professor of political science.

Dr. Blauwkamp quoted President Dwight Eisenhower who once said, “An essential part of this preparedness for national security is a debt limit high enough to permit the Treasury, if necessary, to borrow the funds required to carry out the government’s obligations under the Constitution and under the laws of the Congress.”

“Conflict over the nation’s debt limit is not unprecedented, and recently, the intensity of that conflict has reached new heights,” Dr. Blauwkamp said.

Dr. Blauwkamp said that the Fireside Chats are very informal, discussion-oriented events, rather than formal presentations. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and share different perspectives in order to better understand the facts and politics of the U.S. fiscal policy.